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Clif Family Winery – Velo Vino Tasting Room

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Clif Family Winery Velo Vino

Clif Family Winery Velo Vino

709 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: https://www.cliffamily.com/

Clif Family winery is owned by Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford who are also the owners of the company Clif Bar.  Both grew up with a passion for food.  Gary picked up his love for wine while cycling through Europe.  Kit became interested in wine while working in an artisan pasta, cheese, and wine shop in San Francisco.  They expanded their interest in wine after purchasing a home and farm in Napa Valley.  They are avid cyclists, environmentalists, and foodies.  All of those attributes are reflected in the winery and tasting room.  The tasting room in downtown St. Helena is called Velo Vino, which loosely translates to “bike and wine”.

Velo Vino Wine Tasting and Espresso Bar

Velo Vino Wine Tasting and Espresso Bar

I generally have a preconceived notion of downtown tasting rooms as a small space with people standing around a tasting bar, maybe a few seats here and there, and not a lot to see and do.  That is definitely not the case here.  Velo Vino tasting room is like a café or coffee shop with a bicycling theme.  Throughout the tasting room there is bicycling memorabilia and above the tasting bar there was a TV playing a video describing Gary’s and Kit’s love for bicycling.  There are several tables inside the tasting room as well as some stools around the L-shaped wine and espresso bar.  Outside of the tasting room is a garden patio and a Clif Family food truck that serves Italian-style snacks.  For sale in the tasting room are some Clif Family Kitchen foods like savory nut mixes, Dukkah spice blends, dark chocolates, seasonal preserves, extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegars.  Gary and Kit are very focused on sustainability and source a lot of their food from their own farm.

My husband and I sat at the bar for our wine tasting.  Our very friendly hostess, Candace, explained the tasting options and asked us if we wanted to “Yellow Jersey” it.  Yellow Jersey is a cycling reference to the shirt that is awarded to the leader after each stage of the Tour de France.  With regards to the tasting, this meant adding some small bites to pair with the wines.  We went for it.  The wines here are very reasonably priced.  The Howell Mountain wines are more pricey but on par with other wines from the same area.  I enjoyed the reds more than the whites, in particular The Climber Limited Release and Kit’s Killer Cab.  The price for the wine and small bite pairing was very acceptable.  Besides their traditional tasting, the winery offers an estate tasting experience atop Howell Mountain. For bicycling fans, they also offer bicycle rental packages and will help customize a bike route.

I had a very nice, relaxing time at this tasting room.  The wines are good and the atmosphere pleasant.  For what seems like a small place, they have a lot of options.  I recommend this as a good hang out place for an afternoon snack.

Velo Vino Outdoor Patio

Velo Vino Outdoor Patio

Bremer Family Winery

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Bremer Family Winery

Bremer Family Winery

975 Deer Park Rd, Saint Helene, CA 94574

Website: https://bremerfamilywinery.com/

Bremer Family winery is an old school winery on Howell Mountain overlooking Deer Creek.  The original winery was built in 1891. At the time, the land was purchased by a Swiss couple named Emile and Mary Sutter Leuenberger for $987.  Mary’s brothers built the original stone building and cellar.  The Leuenbergers and Sutters sold the property in 1909 to open a larger facility on Highway 29 now known as Sutter Home Winery.  The property became abandoned during Prohibition and then was bought by an Irish emigrant in 1922 for $10 in gold coin. The farm house that is still there today was built in 1922.  The winery continued to change hands a couple other times until the Bremers purchased it in the 21st century and released their first wine in October 2003.  Today the Bremer family owns 68 acres of vineyards with over 50 of them on Howell Mountain.  

 

An antique truck at Bremer Family Winery

An antique truck at Bremer Family Winery

As we drove down the gravel road to the winery we were surrounded by rows of trees with pretty pink blossoms.  We drove past the historic farm house and a car port with an antique truck loaded with oak barrels.  This winery only offers tastings by appointment which is common for a lot of the mountain wineries.  On nice days they will do tastings outside at picnic tables shaded by oak trees.  It is such a peaceful setting.  Our host was very gracious.  He walked back and forth between the picnic tables pouring wine and talking about the history of the property and wines.  The tasting was very casual.  In addition to the outdoor tasting, there are a couple of indoor tasting rooms.  If you select to sit outside like we did, you might get a visit from the friendly winery dog. 

 

Outdoor tasting at Bremer Family Winery

Outdoor tasting at Bremer Family Winery

The Bremers’ wines are definitely not old fashioned.  They make high-end Bordeaux style wines with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  They also produce Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Port and a couple of red blends.  Their Claret is an ode to a French red blend of four varietals.  One of their red blends is named Austintatious after their son.  I thought the Cabernet Sauvignons were lovely.  I also enjoyed the Claret and Zinfandel and took a few bottles home with me.  I really appreciated the wines, atmosphere, and tasting experience.

Conn Creek

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Conn Creek Winery

Conn Creek Winery

8711 Silverado Trail, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: https://www.conncreek.com/

Conn Creek Winery, located on the Silverado Trail in the Rutherford appellation, was started by Bill and Kathy Collins in 1979.  The 1970s was an exciting era for Napa Valley.  California wines were getting recognition after beating out the French at the 1976 Judgment of Paris and emerging wineries were riding on the coattails of that success.  The Cabernet Sauvignon that took 1st place at the Paris tasting came from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars just down the road from Conn Creek.  Conn Creek Winery showcases Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals.  What I like most about this winery is its focus on “terroir”.  If you ask someone what terroir means you’ll probably get a variety of answers.  Essentially, terror represents all of the environs that give a wine its character, which includes the location, soil, weather conditions, and so on.  This winery embraces the nuances in the terroir across the different Napa Valley appellations that have defined what people love about Napa Valley wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon.  In addition, this place can pride itself on being one of the first energy efficient wineries in the area.  

Anthology Room at Conn Creek

Anthology Room at Conn Creek

Conn Creek’s tasting room has an air of Napa elegance without being “over the top”.  It is spacious and has a few different tasting options. As you walk in there is a traditional tasting bar to the right.  To the left is a nook for private tastings in the Anthology room.  Anthology is one of their most renowned Bordeaux blends.  Toward the back of the tasting room is a cozy space with big comfy leather chairs, a TV, and a wine bottle display on the wall.  There is lots of paraphernalia about the space to educate tasters on the different Napa Valley terroirs.  If you prefer to be outside, there is a little patio off the side of the tasting room as well.  

Conn Creek Tasting Room

Conn Creek Tasting Room

One of the tasting options that they offer explores Cabernet Sauvignons from different Napa appellations.  That is the option I tried.  I enjoyed the tasting because I was able to compare a few Cabernet Sauvignons side-by-side and taste the difference in the appellations.  Another fun option this winery offers for those who want to splurge a little is a private blending seminar.  Check their website for details.  This winery is a nice place to stop into if you have an interest in learning more about the differences in the Napa appellations.